Isiah Thomas - MVP For The Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics have been my team since the 1950s. I would lay in my bed and listen to the play-by-play radio broadcasts from Boston Garden. Johnny Most announced the game and his raspy voice transported a six year-old a hundred miles to the south. In my mind I saw Bill Russell, the Jones Boys, Tommie Heinsohn, Bob Cousy and the rest of the championship teams.

They were my heroes and in 1974 I was lucky enough to be driving taxi in Boston to support myself through college. That year the Boston Celtics were the best team in the NBA. I loved John Havilcek, Dave Cowans, Don Chaney, Paul Silas, Jo Jo White et al.

The 1980s was the Larry Bird era and we went back to the Finals with the Big Three of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett complemented by the QB point guard Rajon Rondo.

Two were traded to Brooklyn for a bucket of future draft picks and the team started to show promise, but nothing gelled until the arrival of #4 Isiah Thomas.

Holy Shit.

# 4 can play.

Last night he scored 44 points against a taller and tougher Toronto team to become the 2nd best in the East.

This weekend is the all-star.

And Mr. 4th Quarter wasn't a starter.

Then again neither was Russell Westbrook.

I'm all about # 4.

MVP.

IT can fly too.

# 4 Nude / Kurt Kauper

The most famous photo of Bobby Orr was of his scoring the winning goal in the 1970 Stanley Cup Championship against the St. Louis Blues. The immortal moment has also been immortalized in a statue gracing the entrance to the TD Garden in Boston, however an artist friend had told me about the painter Kurt Kauper, who has displayed portraits of a nude Bobby Orr in almost all his glory.

His paintings are very Ken doll, since they don't show his privates.

Thankfully none of them do.

I like my hockey stars in uniform.

Bobby Orr - Tiger # 4

Bobby Orr has undoubtably been the Greatest Boston Bruin in the modern age.

His offensive net-to-net play revolutionized the role of defensemen throughout the NHL.

His team won two Stanley Cups in 1970 and 1972, although were thwarted from adding their names to the championship trophy on more than one occasion in the 197os by their bitter rivals, the Montreal Canadians. Orr retired almost forty years ago, but his memory lives on the ice and off.

As with this video featuring some fights with Chicago Blackhawks defenseman, Keith Magnuson.

Keith should have know better.

To view this video, please go to the following URL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd1lfKxMYXE

The Sum Of 2014

The ever-lovely Ann Magnuson wished everyone a happy New Year on Facebook.

"2014 is going to be a good year! It has to be, it has a 4 in it!"

I hoped that she was right, since 2013 was an annus miserablis for me, however I wrote the hillbilly performance artiste that 4 is not considered lucky in China. Many Buildings don't have 4th floors and the elevators don't go to that floor.

2+1+4 = 7. seven is lucky. Hǎo yùn.

Seven is always lucky.

Especially in rolling dice.

Ann Magnuson responded, "How bizarre Peter . Well, maybe it won't be a good year in China so I will be sure and avoid it in 2014."

Me too, although most flights to Thailand pass through Peking.

If I'm lucky this year, I'll be going there to see my kids.

FOR THE LOVE OF HOCKEY by Peter Nolan Smith

FOR THE LOVE OF HOCKEY are six stories about my love for the fastest game on ice.

During the 1980s my aunt from Maine bought season tickets to the Rangers. To her hockey was hockey as long as the Black Bears of U Maine weren't playing for the Frozen Four, however As longtime Boston Bruins fan I have suffered through decades of living in New York under the tyranny of Ranger fans and FOR THE LOVE OF HOCKEY follows my devotion from childhood to the present day.

Needless to say I love pond hockey and hate global warming.

Every October I wait for the sound of Bauer or CCM steel on ice.

It makes me feel forever young.

To purchase the Kindle version of FOR THE LOVE OF HOCKEY by Peter Nolan Smith for 99 cents US, please go to the following URL;

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FVGSB2C

Thanks

Peter Nolan Smith